


What If We Rewrite The Stars

by Lirial89



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21557737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lirial89/pseuds/Lirial89
Summary: Petunia draws a line, Harry chooses to be brave and proactive and Neville is the Boy-Who-Lived.Even without a destiny as a hero Harry is as curious as a cat and just as prone to getting into more trouble than the average person, his friends just as curious as he is.
Relationships: No pairings at this time
Comments: 11
Kudos: 36





	1. Just A Jump To The Left

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, first of all many thanks to the UraIchi discord server and the FFXVSTORYFUN discord server for all their help and advice. I can't guarantee that this be completed but I'm feeling good with it so far :) Hopefully this inspires me to work on my other stories. 
> 
> Let me know what you think of it!
> 
> Love you guys!

**Chapter One – Just A Jump To The Left**

OoOoO

“Get the post Dudley,” Vernon said, eyes on his morning paper.

Dudley huffed and opened his mouth even as he spun his Smelting Stick but Petunia interrupted him as she moved past Vernon, gently touching his shoulder as she passed him. “I’ll get it dear, you eat your breakfast Dudley,”

Harry kept his eyes on his plate as he hurriedly finished his food, there was no telling when Dudley would decide that he desperately needed Harry’s meagre food. Dudley shifted and gave Harry a sharp poke in the ribs with the Smelting Stick, Harry winced and gave Dudley dark look before shoving the last bite of his toast into his mouth. Dudley waited for Harry to take a drink of his water and gave him a harder poke with the Stick making Harry choke on his water and start coughing. Vernon didn’t even look up as he snapped at Harry for causing a commotion, Harry rolled his eyes and tried to ignore his cousin’s glee.

Petunia was gone for several minutes before she came back with two pieces of mail in her hand, she was even paler than usual with red splotches on her cheekbones and her pale blue eyes as hard as ice. “I’ll be taking the boy to the doctor’s today, Vernon,” She said, voice icy and hard. “He’s been accepted into my sister’s school so I’ll need to make sure his inoculations are up to date since he’s no longer going to Stonewall.” Vernon’s head had snapped up and he stared at her in mute horror as he paled rapidly. “I’ll organise somewhere for him to stay for the rest of the summer and for an appropriate wardrobe, no need to bother you or Dudley with the details,”

Vernon closed his open mouth that had been ready to start shouting and looked at Dudley who was looking at his mother curiously before he nodded slowly. “Whatever you think is best pet, boarding school might straighten him out and get him out of our hair,” He stood and carefully hugged her, Harry watched them out of the corner of his eye as he sipped the last of his water and wondered what the hell was happening and if he was getting kicked out. Harry noted that Vernon’s hands were shaking slightly and Petunia was so stiff and tense that it was a wonder that she didn’t shatter when Vernon touched her. They hugged for a long minute before Vernon pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I love you,” He said quietly and she relaxed minutely. “I love you,” He repeated and they looked at each other for a long quiet moment. “I’ll take the next couple of days off and Dudley and I can have some bonding time, let you get on with it without us being under foot, okay?”

She nodded and relaxed a little more. “Yes, that sounds perfect,”

Harry and Dudley exchanged a look before going back to ignoring each other, Vernon and Petunia would do something with them once they stopped being weird but neither preteen wanted to deal with the weird before they had to. Petunia went to make a few calls and Vernon started asking Dudley whether he wanted go to the cinema or there was a boxing tournament starting today, Dudley asked if they could do both and Vernon happily agreed. Harry couldn’t help noticing that Vernon didn’t look at him, not once in the hour before they left for their day out.

OoOoO

Once they had left and Petunia had finished her calls she made herself a cup of tea and pulled the thick parchment envelope from her pocket, she tapped it on the table twice before flicking it towards Harry who she had called out of his cupboard to join her.

“Magic,” she said with disgust and revulsion. “Is real, you are a wizard, your freak parents were magical too. You will be going that boarding school where they will teach you magic along with the other freak brats. I’ve organised a hotel for you to say at for the rest of the summer as of tomorrow, you have a doctor’s appointment in two hours for your inoculations and tomorrow I will take you to get appropriate clothes for school and then take you to London, I will show you to where you can access the magical district and how to take the train to school.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I will not answer questions, you will pack what things you wish to keep into your backpack tonight to be ready first thing in the morning, everything left behind will be burned. Take this-” She shoved a piece of paper at him along with a pen. “And write an acceptance note addressed to Professor McGonagall,” Petunia watched him write it before nodding sharply. “There should be an owl somewhere close by, give it to the bird and get out of my sight,”

Harry scampered from the table with his letter and his acceptance note. He froze when Petunia spoke again. “You will not discuss this with Dudley, if I hear one word about this from him, I’ll drown you,” Harry had grown up with idle death wishes, the occasional death threat and the far more common occasional beating and idle smack whenever he did anything freakish or annoyed them but for the first time he really believed that Petunia would find a way to kill him if Dudley found out about magic.

Heart pounding Harry ducked outside to the backyard and not even three steps outside he was startled by a large barn owl who swooped over and landed on his shoulder causing him to stumble forward. “Are you here to take my note?” He asked once he had caught his balance and the owl bobbed its head at him. “Here you go, thanks!” It launched itself up off his shoulder and Harry watched it fly off with a white piece of paper in one claw.

A couple more steps lead to Harry sitting under the one tree in the backyard, he unfolded his letter reverently, fear for his life or not there wasn’t Harry could do about it and he was going to a _magic_ school.

  
**HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY**

  
  


Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

  
  


    Dear Mr. Potter,
    We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
    Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
    Yours sincerely,

[ ](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/6/67/Minerva_McGonagall_sig.png/revision/latest?cb=20111220005427)

    Minerva McGonagall
    Deputy Headmistress

He turned to the next page after several minute of reading and rereading the letter with a pounding heart.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY**

  
  


    **UNIFORM**
    
    First-year students will require:

    1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
    2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
    3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
    4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

    Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
    
    **COURSE BOOKS**
    
    All students should have a copy of each of the following:
    
     _ \- The Standard Book of Spells_ _(Grade 1)_

     _by_ _Miranda Goshawk_

    _\- A History of Magic_

     _by_ _Bathilda Bagshot_

    _\- Magical Theory_

     _by_ _Adalbert Waffling_

    _\- A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

     _by_ _Emeric Switch_

    _\- One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

     _by_ _Phyllida Spore_

    _\- Magical Drafts and Potions_

     _by_ _Arsenius Jigger_

    _\- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

     _by_ _Newt Scamander_

    _\- The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

     _by_ _Quentin Trimble_

    
    **OTHER EQUIPMENT**

    1 wand
    1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
    1 set glass or crystal phials
    1 telescope
    1 set brass scales

    Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

    Yours sincerely,

    Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
    Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

The last thing Harry pulled from the envelope was a ticket almost the size of his hand. London to Hogwarts, Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4, 11.00am September 1st.

Harry was going to learn magic. 


	2. Chapter Two – And all that was real is left behind

Harry followed after Petunia with the shopping trolley as she strode purposefully to first the personal care section of ASDA, into the trolley went a hair brush and comb set, following those came deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and other assorted items in amounts enough to last him the year.

What followed was the most tense and awkward shopping trip that Harry had been forced on as he followed Petunia as she threw clothes that would fit him into the cart with the occasional question about which he’d prefer and checked them off her list. Once she’d put a very basic wardrobe together for him Petunia moved on to the school clothing section and set about getting several sets of school wear for him, both black and grey pants when into the cart, six of each in three different sizes so he’d grow into the bigger pairs, six packs of five white school shirts, three short sleeve and three long sleeve, six woollen vests, a grey and a black in each of the sizes. Six pairs of shoes in three sizes made their way into the cart, three black school shoes and three different pairs of sneakers, she eyed him for a moment and then threw in a pair of too-big-for-now slippers and a similarly too big pair of flipflops.

Next he followed her to the book section where she threw in a dictionary and a thesaurus. Stationary followed where she threw cheap pens and pencils in with notebooks, other basic stationary followed them along with fabric pens. At Petunia’s direction he picked out two towels, face washers and hand towels, she also pointed at him to choose one of the £5 blankets.

Petunia eyed the trolley and added a large black duffle bag to the mix before directing him to the checkout. Once they were back in the car, Harry in the seat behind the front passenger seat he silently set about detagging and neatly folding the clothes into the duffel bag as Petunia had ordered him.

During the hour and forty minutes it took to get them to London Harry had the bag packed with neatly folded clothing and the stationary, only one pair of shoes would fit into the bag so Harry put the other pairs into a single shopping bag, he tidied up the few tags that had fallen off the seat and put them into another of the shopping bags.

If things hadn’t been so tense Harry thought he might have dozed off, he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, too scared and excited in turns to rest. The duffel, shoe bag and his backpack filled with his few possessions sat next to him on the back seat and Harry honestly didn’t know how he felt, magic was real and he was going to learn how to use it but he was losing the only home he had ever known.

OoOoO

Petunia stopped the car in front of a hotel, Harry watched her enter the office and quickly jerked his head to face the front when she left it ten minutes later. She jerked his door open. “Get out!” She snapped at him. “And get your things,” Harry scrambled to collect his bags and followed his aunt to a room on the second floor, she pulled out a single key on a keyring and unlocked the door. “Put some of your new clothes on and empty your backpack before meeting me at the car, boy,” Petunia ordered him, shrill voice hateful and turned on her heel, striding back to the elevator.

Harry rushed through changing into a neat pair of dark blue jeans and a pale green t-shirt with a pair of his new sneakers, he emptied his backpack onto the double bed and only tucked one of his new jackets into it and his battered wallet filled with money stolen from the Dursleys, it wasn’t much only a few hundred pounds but Harry had been sneaking small bills from Vernon and Dudley for a long time and he refused to leave it behind. He all but ran down the stairs to the car, he didn’t put it past Petunia to leave him behind if he took too long.

She didn’t bother speaking to him as Harry got back into the car and drove them two and a half blocks further before pulling up the car in front of a music shop. She was silent for a long moment before she spoke to him, her shrill voice was darker and more venomous than he’d ever heard before.

“I took you in after you were dumped on my doorstep like the worst type of gift because despite everything your freak of a mother was my sister. But no longer. Do you see that pub?” She asked and continued without waiting for him to answer, his eyes flicking to the pub that every passer-by seemed to ignore before jerking back to his aunt. “Through there lies the entrance to the – _magical_ -” She spat the word like it was poison. “District, the bartender can let you through, go to the bank and ask if your parents left you anything, whatever you get is all you’re getting don’t waste it. Go to the freak hospital get any inoculations you need before school starts. The hotel we stopped at is where you’ll be staying for the rest of the summer, you’ll have access to a free breakfast each morning in the dining room but any other food is for you to organise and pay for, the room is paid for until you need to catch your train on September 1st, you’ll need to walk through the barrier between platforms nine and ten to catch your train.”

A deep shaking breath and Petunia continued. “I hate your world, I hate that it took my sister from me, I hate that my parents died loving Lily so much when she wouldn’t give me the time of day any more, I hate that nothing I did was ever special enough, _good enough_ for them because my sister was a _witch_ and how could I equal that? I hate that your freak father tormented us with _magic_ at their wedding, that Lily didn’t bother coming to mine.” She took another shaking breath and Harry gripped the strap of his backpack with wide eyes and white knuckles. “I hate that when our parents died, she was too ‘busy’ to come to the funeral, I hate that when she died I was informed with a letter left tucked into the blanket you were wrapped in, that _no one has ever bothered to tell me where my sister is buried_.”

This was the most Harry had ever heard about his mother – Lily, her name had been Lily – none of it was nice but it was more than he had ever had before. “Aunt Petunia-”

“No,” She interrupted him flatly before picking up her purse from the passenger seat and rummaging through it, she pulled out a thick envelope and a plastic document wallet and all but threw them at him. “Your birth certificate, medical records, NHS number, bank account details and school records, _do not_ lose them!” Harry quickly shoved them into his backpack, fumbling slightly and “Magic destroyed my family once, it won’t do it again,” There was something horrifically final in those words. “£1000, feed yourself, get new glasses, waste it, I don’t care. You are not welcome in my home, you are not welcome in my life or the lives of my husband and son, I want nothing to do with you. This money, the clothes and the motel for the next two months are the last things I will ever give you. I do not wish to see you ever again, do you understand?”

For the first time since they’d gotten in the car this morning she looked at him, for the first time in his memory she met his eyes. “I – I understand,” He couldn’t bring himself to thank her, he’d known from the age of four that she didn’t like or want him, that Vernon had hated him but Harry hadn’t realised how deeply Petunia felt. “You won’t see me again if I can help it,”

She nodded sharply, blue eyes cold and hard as she studied him, a thick envelope and a single key on a keyring were shoved at him and Harry hurriedly tucked them away in his backpack. “Good, now get out.” She turned back around and Harry hurried to get out of the car.

He hesitated before closing the door, this was his last chance to get an answer from his aunt. One question, Harry thought that she might answer a single question and there were two that he wanted answered more than the others. “I – how did my parents die? _When_ did my parents die?”

A long moment of tense silence followed his question and Harry could hear the silent but often repeated ‘ _Don’t ask questions!_ ’, he continued to hold the door open, looking at the back of her head, her pale blonde hair perfectly neat as always. “...There was a war between your people, wizard Hitler basically from what I understood. Lily fought him, he thought people like her, people born from non-magical families with magic themselves were-“ There was something like bitter amusement in her voice as she spoke the next word. “Abominations. Lily was murdered on October thirty-first, I don’t know the details, there was never anyone I could ask.”

“...Goodbye Aunt Petunia,” Voice hoarse and quiet as Harry gently shut the door. Green eyes watched the silver car drive away and Harry couldn’t help hoping that he never saw the Dursleys again. Harry turned away from where the car had disappeared into the traffic and out of sight. “The Leaky Cauldron, huh?” He scrubbed his hands over his wet eyes and took a deep breath, it was time to be brave.


End file.
